Indian Airlines employees call off strike

The two-day strike by staffers of the state-run Indian airlines was called off Thursday noon after the management agreed to meet most of their demands, primarily on better pay. "A union team had talks with the government and the management in the afternoon, and as they agreed to meet most of our demands, we have withdrawn our strike," said Hari Singh of the Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU). "We have asked the striking employees to return to work soon," said the office bearer of ACEU, which demanded wage revisions and promotional parity with Air India counterparts following the government's nod to merge the two carriers. The Delhi High Court had held the strike illegal. Earlier in the day, the airline, which operates under the brand name "Indian", was forced to cancel 103 flights, resulting in chaos at airports across the country and leaving thousands of passengers scrambling for alternatives.

Among the flights cancelled were those running on international routes between sectors like Chennai and Singapore, Bangkok and Sharjah, and Kolkata and Bangkok. About 12,000 ground staff of the carrier, including security personnel and baggage handlers, had been on strike since Tuesday night, demanding pay hikes and payment of arrears that they claimed were pending since 1997. The airline employs some 19,300 people. The cabin crew joined the agitation Wednesday, leading to a complete breakdown in services, even as Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel issued a stern warning and threatened large-scale suspension. Indian daily ferries 31,000 passengers to 54 destinations in India and 18 overseas. On Wednesday, the ongoing strike had forced authorities to cancel over 62 flights across the country.

visit us @ http://www.silkrouteholidays.com